HERE AND THERE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16292, 6 December 1920, Page 6

HERE AND THERE.

MOTHER’S PRESENCE OF MINIX A thrilling story of tho manner in which a mother saved her daughter irom the dcath-bito pi” a viper is reported from Pau, a tourist and health resort, Pyrenees, France. Tho girl, whp bad fallen asleep in tho garden of a mountain-side villa, awoko through tho beating of the viper’s tail in her face. The reptile had crept inside her blouse. Afraid to call for help, she kept) perfectly still for several minutes, hoping tho viper would crawl away. It showed no signs of leaving. The girl was in a. state of terror vrhon tho mother came into tho garden. With remarkable sang-froid sho signalled the. girl to keep still a little longer. She dashed into tho house, and in a low 7 moments returned with a howl of boiling milk and a. servant carrying a heavy stick. Tho bowl was placed aa near tho girl as possible. At once the viper came out and made for the milk. The girl jumped clear, and the servant smashed tiro reptile’s head. It was found to bo a viper of tho most dangerous species.

SITE OP THE BASTILLE. It. has long been felt in Paris that the Place de la Bastille in no way recalls the old State prison which ‘unco stood there, the storming .of which will for ever remain as a. symbol of liberty for the French nation, and the Old Pami Society has now 7 decided to on Urn o tho site of the Bastille by a special paving. This will prove a very real aid to tho imagination, which at present lias some difficulty in summoning up a picture of the old fortress and prison in n busy square crowded with trams and omnibuses, and with a. column in the centre surmounted by a graceful golden figure. * ♦ ARMED TAXI-DRIVERS. A lively discussion is being carried on in the French Press ns to the merits of tho; demand put forward by tho Union of Taxi-drivers regarding tho right to carry arms and to relnso to carry taros to destinations which they know to bo in. lonely neighbourhoods/ ’The reason for this demand is tho recent, murder of three chauffeurs who had been asked by their fares to drive to deserted spots late nt night, and were then shot and robbed. The taxi-driver,* in support of their contention, state that at the end of tho day they practically alwavs have over a hundred francs in their pocket, and that they aro absolutely defenceless against any attacks, the assailant, moreover, having tk> advantage of being able to take possession of tho car and make off alter disposing of the driver. A number of drivers have already blocked up tho little window in the front of the car which can bo opened noiselessly from within, and certain of them own to already carrying revolvers, though this is ‘in direct”contravention of the law forbidding tho carrying' of arms which may be concealed on the person, such as,revolvers and daggers. To allow every taxidnven to carry a revolver, however, would' mean that in big towns there would exist a large fleet of armed motor-cars, which might, he a: very serious menace te flic forces of law ami order in tho case of. disturbances.

V POISON IN THE ARUM LILY. It is not generally known, bnt it is a piovod fact, that the stamen or yellow centre of the arum lily is deadly poison (stales the Auckland “ Star ”j. ptirents who aro in (he habit of growing tho lily are -warned not to allow their children to cat'thn yellow centre. Children are in the habit of picking out iJiia yellow substance and depositing it in the mouth. It has a. rather sweet astc, and once they have tasted it they generally go for more. Rorentlv Kenneth Lewis Spilsbnrv, the infant son of Air and Airs John Spilsbui v. Hnewbero, succumbed as a result of Poisoning. It appears that the Jiltlo iellow and Ins sister, aged about three Tears, ate the stamen of the arum lily. 1 1 L 11 keeumo ill, with the tosuib that the child, aged about twentytwo months, died. *

£IOOO WORTH OF JEWELLERY. Carrying two packages which she thought contained tea, a young lady went for a- walk with her fiance, but on reaching home found the contents fo bo jewellery worth £IOOO. The Indy m question. Miss Florence Eleanor Hid, daughter of a Salvation .Army adjutant ol .Luton, - who is a bookkeeper to a, hrm of butchers in Netting Hill-gale s epned into a train on the Melronolilau If a i way as a man alighted. The car. Mage was empty, and, noticing a news, paper on the seat., she picked it m, Isb©. was surprised to find two small parcels which “ looked like tea ” underneath. Miss Hill took possession or them, and, thinking nothing 0 f her di*. coyen- carried them while she walked whh her fiance. On her arrival home turn found that the parcels contained several boxes of valuable jewellery. lieie were platinum and cold rings diamond pendants, breeches "mi nharms, one of which resembled a famdy heir oom. The jewellery, which is now m the hands of the police, has net ? WAV . :, PP ( -ynnco, and is suspected to Loudon 11 E aeU fr ° nl a rfts^Pnce near